Calhanoglu claims Turkey 'more talented' as Australia braces for World Cup opener in Vancouver

Mind games

Turkey captain Hakan Calhanoglu lit the touchpaper at the pre-match press conference in Vancouver, declaring his side "more talented" than Australia and predicting Turkey would "dominate" the Group B opener.

“We are more talented and we will dominate the game.”

Australia coach Tony Popovic seized on the remark.

“I respect his comment. You ask a question and he has the right to answer it any way he likes. They expect to win, but so do most people expect Turkey to beat Australia tomorrow, so that's no different. What we can do is try and spoil the party, and that's our challenge tomorrow, and that's what we aim to do.”

Australia's meticulous preparation

Midfielder Aiden O'Neill revealed the team's attention to detail, saying he has been sleeping nine and a half hours a night in the lead-up.

“They've been checking out the pillows, the sheets, everything, so every detail has been gone over. Yeah, I think we're all ready.”

Popovic, whose eyes were tinted red from the effort of recent weeks, admitted less sleep but described it as "enough. Definitely enough."

Turkey's coach tempers expectations

Turkey coach Vincenzo Montella declined to echo his captain's boldness, instead praising the Socceroos.

“Australia is actually a team that has a very strong mentally, they're very resilient and they know what to do on the pitch. It is a very balanced team, very well disciplined, they are not ashamed to defend to the last 30 metres in a line of five or four.”

Turkey, ranked higher than Australia and appearing at their first World Cup in 24 years, are clear favourites for the Saturday evening clash in Vancouver. The city has come alive for the tournament, far more than the San Francisco Bay Area where Australia are based.

Recent friendly form

Australia lost 1-0 to co-hosts Mexico on May 31 after a Johan Vasquez header. A second friendly brought a 1-1 draw against Switzerland, with Tete Yengi cancelling out Dan Ndoye's opener after spurning an early chance. The Socceroos now face a daunting opener, but Popovic has made clear they intend to defy the script.